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January 24
1800s *1894 - In Jacksonville, Florida, Gentleman Jim Corbett wins the heavyweight boxing championship in a disputed third-round knockout of Englishman Charlie Mitchell. The referee of the fight is "Honest" John Kelly, a former major league catcher, manager and umpire. Kelly will referee two more championship fights, in 1896 and 1899. 1900s-1920s *1900: **Officials from the National League hold a secret meeting in Cleveland, supposedly to discuss dropping the Baltimore, Cleveland, Louisville and Washington, DC franchises from the league roster. **The A.J. Reach Company is granted a patent for protective headgear known as the "Reach Pneumatic Head Protector." It won't gain acceptance, though a few players, notably Roger Bresnahan, will occasionally wear it. *1913 - In a story in the New York Times, Detroit Tigers President Frank Navin blames the length of the games on the coachers boxes. Navin, reacting to American League President Ban Johnson's complaint that too many games the previous season had taken two hours to play, says the boxes should be moved back so that the catcher can give the pitcher his signals more quickly. From where they are now, he said, the coaching players can detect the catcher's signals unless he takes a lot of time to hide them. Navin said this slow signalling is the reason for the longer games. *1915 - In a retreat from the Federal League competition, the Orioles of the International League move to Richmond, Virginia. With the demise of the FL, the Orioles will return to Baltimore. *1922 - The Brooklyn Dodgers obtains shortstop Sam Crane from the Cincinnati Reds. Crane will play in three games and later be convicted of murder. He will be visited in prison by Connie Mack, who works for his parole and gives him a job. 1930s-1950s *1939 - Eddie Collins, Willie Keeler and George Sisler are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Sisler set a major league season-record with 257 hits in 1920 and batted .420 in 1922 on his way to a .340 career average. Collins batted an even .333 for his career and stole 744 bases as a member of four World Series. Keeler, who "hit 'em where they ain't", batted .341 and 2,932 hits. *1950 - Jackie Robinson signs a contract for $35,000, reportedly making him the highest paid Brooklyn Dodgers player in team history. *1955 - In an effort to speed up the game, major league baseball announces a new rule which requires a pitcher to deliver the ball within 20 seconds after taking a pitching position. 1960s-1990s *1961 - The Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Athletics agree on a six-player trade. The Orioles acquire outfielders Whitey Herzog and Russ Snyder from the Athletics in exchange for infielder Wayne Causey, pitcher Jim Archer, and outfielders Bob Boyd and Al Pilarcik. *1962 -The Southern Association announces that it is suspending operations. Plagued by dwindling attendance, the league lost franchises in Memphis and New Orleans during the past two seasons. *1973 - Left handed pitcher Warren Spahn is elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA. Spahn, in his first year of eligibility, is named on 316 out of a possible 380 ballots. Spahn won a total of 363 games during a 21-year major league career. *1980 - Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon head a group of investors which purchases the New York Mets from the DeRoulet family for a reported $21.1 million, then the highest price paid a major league franchise. the highest price paid to date for a ML baseball franchise. Doubleday, whose publishing company supplied 80 percent of the purchase price, and is also a relative of Abner Doubleday, will serve as chairman of the board, while Wilpon, a former teammate of Sandy Koufax's at Brooklyn's Lafayette High School, will serve as team president and chief operating officer. 2000s *2000 - New York Yankees prospect D'Angelo Jiménez suffers a broken neck when a car he is driving in the Dominican Republic collides with a bus. Jiménez is not paralyzed but will miss the 2000 season. He figured to be the Yankees reserve infielder, taking over the role that Luis Sojo, now with the Pittsburgh Pirates, filled last season. *2001 - Believed to be an historical first, sixty-eight major league umpires participate in a pre-season session to practice calling strikes as defined by the rule book. With the help of minor league players wearing tapes nine inches above their belts, the men in blue get a good look at pitches, normally called balls, which now will considered a strike as the correct interpretation of the zone will be enforced this upcoming season. *2006: **According the New York Daily News, the daughter of Jackie Robinson thinks Major League Baseball should not retire Roberto Clemente's No. 21. **Barry Bonds pulled out of the U.S. team for the World Baseball Classic, opting to skip the March tournament to focus on the next baseball season. **Pitcher Casey Fossum avoided arbitration with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays when he agreed to a $4.55 million, two-year contract that includes a club option for 2008. **Major league players preparing for the World Baseball Classic may report to spring training as early as February 1. **The Chicago Cubs and starting pitcher Wade Miller agreed to a one-year contract that will pay $1 million in salary and up to another $1 million in bonuses based on the number of starts he makes. **Former Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa retires from baseball. **More than 1,000 items of Joe DiMaggio memorabilia, including his 1947 American League MVP Award plaque and a signed photo of Marilyn Monroe, will be auctioned in May. Births *1875 - Bunk Congalton, outfielder (d. 1937) *1879 - Dave Brain, outfielder (d. 1959) *1888 - Pinch Thomas, catcher (d. 1953) *1898 - Cliff Heathcote, outfielder (d. 1939) *1898 - Jim Lindsey, pitcher (d. 1963) *1916 - Clem Dreisewerd, pitcher (d. 2001) *1917 - Danny Doyle, catcher (d. 2004) *1917 - Wally Judnich, outfielder (d. 1971) *1936 - Dick Stigman, All-Star pitcher *1953 - Tim Stoddard, pitcher *1955 - Ted Cox, infielder *1958 - Atlee Hammaker, All-Star pitcher *1958 - Neil Allen, pitcher *1958 - Atlee Hammaker, All-Star pitcher *1964 - Rob Dibble, All-Star pitcher *1971 - Cory Bailey, pitcher *1984 - Scott Kazmir, pitcher Deaths *1938 - Jim Mutrie, manager (b. 1851) *1941 - Tommy Bond, pitcher (b. 1884) *1953 - Ben Taylor, Negro League player (b. 1888) *1969 - Tom Zachary, pitcher (b. 1936) *1982 - Ben Shinikes, pitcher (b. 1903) *1960 - Russ Ford, 1883) *2006 - Carlos Martínez, infielder (b. 1964)